By now, every Chicago White Sox fan (hopefully) knows that the franchise is in complete rebuild mode. Having witnessed the Cubs complete a successful rebuild in just over five years time, Rick Hahn and Co. were given a shot of adrenaline and appear prepared to try and emulate their efforts by turning over their entire franchise, top to bottom.
With that being said, the White Sox currently still possess a few elite assets which could help net them a return big enough to see the club turn things around in just three years. When that time comes, fans probably would want to see the franchise hire a manager who can get through to the young players similar to how Joe Maddon connected with the youngsters on the Cubs.
This is not a jab at Rick Renteria, as we have yet to see him manage a game on the South Side. He could end up being a great manager, but it seems that he is nothing more than a bridge manager until the White Sox become relevant again. When that time comes, Chicago should definitely consider bringing back a man who was, and still is, loved by every White Sox fan.
His name?
A.J. Pierzynski.
Before anyone has any knee jerk reactions to this proposal, remember this is all hypothetical. A.J. has never managed an MLB game before. That much is known; however, who can forget listening to Hawk Harrelson gush about A.J. at every given opportunity. He, along with many of Pierzynski’s teammates, would constantly point out that A.J. is the smartest player in baseball and knew every rule in the game.
Drop third strike anyone?
When you think about it, A.J. as a future manager for the White Sox almost makes too much sense. He cares about winning, almost to a fault, has that South Side “swagger”, he will stick up for his players, and he is one of the smartest people in the game. Most importantly, he knows what it takes to win a World Series.
The former South Side backstop has made it perfectly clear, he wants to return to baseball as a manager. Having just completed his 19th season, on his seventh team, A.J. is a baseball lifer.
“Well, I mean, if somebody comes to you and says, ‘Do you want to be a big league manager?’ It’s kind of hard to say no to that, especially when you’ve played for a long time, and you want to give back, ” said the 39-year-old Pierzynski.
According to Terence Moore of MLB.com, Pierzynski will lead one of baseball’s 30 teams someday, and that team will be the better for it. We’re talking about a former player who would manage like a bunch of other former players who were hired to handle a Major League roster despite no previous experience. This is quite common nowadays.
“Having played for a guy like Mike Matheny in St. Louis, he never managed before, and he does it the right way, ” Pierzynski said. “Brad Ausmus [of the Tigers], just playing against him and watching him, he does it the right way. Having played for Robin [Ventura of the White Sox], he’s in that same category, and they all join a bunch of guys who didn’t have a lot of experience and have been successful, and it’s encouraging to me that it can happen.”
Again, this is all speculation and hypothetical, but A.J. Pierzynski managing a new and improved White Sox team three years from now seems like the perfect fit. And Chicago would surely welcome him back with open arms.
